


Twice Told

by pressforward



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: 2020 Hunter X Hunter Big Bang, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Demonhunter!Kurapika, Gen, M/M, Trans Kurapika, Trans Leorio Paladiknight, Trans Male Character, Unreliable Narrator, hxhbb, hxhbb2020
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:55:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25008820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pressforward/pseuds/pressforward
Summary: The borders between realms are thin, and no one knows it better than sometime treasure hunter, now-time aspiring medical student Leorio Paladiknight. Tasked with one final acquisition, Leorio finds himself in an abandoned demonhunters’ keep, searching for an artifact that can safely pay for his first semester. There’s only one small catch: The keep is not abandoned.After a deal gone wrong, Leorio finds himself in Fairyland, along with the demonhunter he tried to rob, a changeling on a mission, and one extremely nosey fae. If he can make his way to the royal palace in time, he might be able to get back home. But time runs differently between the realms, and the first day of the semester is barely weeks away. Leorio has to find a way to leave,fast,but getting in was the easy part.*Written for HxH Big Bang 2020
Relationships: Kurapika/Leorio Paladiknight
Comments: 11
Kudos: 31
Collections: Hxhbb





	1. Chapter 1

> _Before the end of everything, there was a young man searching for his fortune. Now, young men are rarely prudent, and those on the search for their fortune less so. He took himself into a hunter’s lair, and there found sights strange, and passing strange._
> 
> _Among them, he found a hunter making a bargain with a capricious beast, who noticed the young man right away, but gave no sign. He cleverly bargained with the hunter, trading a wish to be granted for anything in the room next door. Unaware, the hunter agreed, and so the beast snatched the young man and spirited him away._
> 
> _And so it goes._

There are smarter weekend plans than creeping through a haunted fortress at half past midnight, but Leorio’s never claimed to be the intelligent type. Plus, he needs the cash that a bonafide piece of demonhunting paraphernalia will get him; school starts in three weeks, and he hasn’t gotten the last of his tuition in. Or the first bit of his tuition. Or any of his tuition, really. Just like this spooky abandoned wreck, getting in was the easy part.

At least rumors of hauntings and old curses have kept all but the most determined scavengers away. The hunters haven’t even been gone that long anyway; plenty of people in this area still remember when there would be occasional hunter sightings, moving through the town or passing down the roads in their red or blue robes, all lined with gold, some weird sigil stitched on the front or back.

But they all vanished about ten years ago, and no one’s heard anything about them since. Some folks say they were wiped out by demons in the night, like some kind of retribution. Death for death, or something like that. An eye for an eye. 

Too spooky. Leorio shakes it off, focuses on the now. Dark creaky hallway giving way to a dark creepy room, bookcases sagging, faded furniture starting to rot away into nothing. Maybe if someone had bothered to keep up with the place, it’d be livable. No lights inside or out, but the moonlight is strong, and he’s learned to move slow, feel things out before he takes that next step.

He makes it through the first few rooms this way, and none of them will have what he needs. This is early stages, and the ordinary-grade scavengers have picked it over already. He wants the good stuff deeper in the keep.

So when he has to choose, he takes a left and slips deeper into the demonhunters’ lair. One room down, cool, boxes stacked up that he’ll investigate later. Then he turns towards the next room and hesitates.

Up ahead, there’s a faint glow of warm light. It flickers unevenly, and beneath it there’s the sound of one person talking, then a response. Candlelight and at least two voices. Leorio slows, moves closer to the wall and creeps closer. He should scope the situation out before heading out. Could be something that should concern him, or it could just be some teenagers, more interested in each other than any noises around them. 

He peeks around the doorframe, then just as slowly, slides back from it. 

It’s bad news. Two figures, a summoning circle, and candles lit haphazardly around the room on whatever flat surface will take them. The circle’s drawn in salt, silver at each cardinal point, symbols almost recognizable and Leorio suppresses a shiver.

Demon shit. It’s _always_ dangerous, and it never goes well, and Leorio has _never, ever, **ever**_ messed with that shit ever in his life. Or at least, hasn’t more than once, but that last time wasn’t his fault. He got suckered into it.

He peers around the doorframe again, much more cautiously this time. They haven’t noticed him, or are obnoxiously good at pretending they haven’t, and at that point he’s just in over his head and should give up already. At the very least, he figures he can get a good look at the people who might be about to kill him.

One of them is standing outside the circle; has to be the summoner. Blonde hair, braided and pinned close at the base of the skull, loose blue robes, posture tight-wound. The taller figure in the circle is-- oh no.

Leorio squints, turns his head to the side. Maybe he’s just seeing things. Glamours don’t usually show right off unless fae want them to show, and they’re a little harder to catch on this side of the veil, but it’s definitely possible with a little practice. He frowns, tries the other eye, and _fuck, he hates being right._

That dumb shit. Summoning circles don’t work to bind fae, and if this dumbass is using one, that’s misinformed at best, a _total idiot_ at worst. Getting out of here could be messy.

They’re talking now, but Leorio mostly ignores them as he considers his options. Yadda yadda, something about a bargain, blah blah, he really needs to get out of here asap, and then something about closing the deal...

He tunes back in because he needs to know how fast to run and in what direction.

“I will release you from the circle, and you may have any item you like in the next room.”

FUCK.

“Clever little man,” the fae says, and that’s a smirk-voice if Leorio’s ever heard one. He should be smug! He’s getting a good bargain because apparently that idiot over there doesn’t know how to set _boundaries._

Then his listening comprehension catches up, and Leorio can’t resist the urge to peek out again, curious. Fae might talk in circles, but they don’t lie. Blonde boy is young, or ages really well. Or— nah, he’s reading too much into it. Anyway, he needs to go.

“Anything?”

Leorio flattens himself to the wall, looking frantically around the room. Clutter, clutter, blocked escape route, piece of furniture that might fall apart as soon as he touches it. Fuck fuck fuck, shit fuck. The window’s shut, but it’s his best bet. He starts edging towards it, not fast in case he knocks something over, but definitely not slow either. Smooth transfer of weight from the heel to the ball of the foot, just one step after the other, and he’s nearly there, just has to navigate around one pile of clutter...

“Very well.”

There’s a step and a sharp, startled exclamation. Leorio doesn’t bother looking back, he just goes, knocking the pile over, busting the worn latch on the window open and getting one leg thrown over the sill. He’s nearly over when there’s another clatter, and he can’t help it, he turns to look, heart hammering with fear, breath snagged in his throat. It’s almost too fast to see, but he catches a glimpse of red hair, pale skin, gold eyes before something seizes his ankle and the entire world lurches sideways.

And he’s dead.

He’s shut his eyes, keeps them shut instinctively, because why bother, he’s dead. Obviously, he’s dead. He got snatched by some mystery thing in a spooky mansion, he’s toast. Game over. Caput.

Death feels a lot like floating.

Hesitantly, he cracks one eye open, then immediately experiences regret. Reality’s not content to lie in tidy well-arranged segments of solid matter. Instead it wriggles and shifts and splits itself into a dozen or a thousand separate possibilities, sometimes neon, sometimes not, and sometimes a color that probably only crabs or insects see, and there’s just nothing right about that.

Through it all, there are thick winding twists of light, sometimes searingly bright, sometimes somehow burning with that pinpoint attraction of a single light in a distant house. They might be close enough to touch, if he stretched. But there’s still a grip like a vise around his ankle, and finally, he turns to look.

The fae still has him. So that’s problem number one. Problem number two: He actually is floating. Problem number three: He is absolutely being dragged through the boundary between realms, and that’s going to be an issue.

“Hey,” he says, then, _“HEY!”_ when the fae doesn’t answer. He flails, tries to land a kick on the elbow closest to him, but every single time, it’s just barely out of his reach. He tries to wriggle, to grab some kind of handhold on the weirdly light viney things, but every sickly throbbing light is insubstantial, passes right through his fingers. 

Leorio grimaces, then manages to wrench himself around to glance up at the fae again. He swallows hard, then tries, “Your bargain was for ‘anything in the room,’ right? I wasn’t fully in the room.”

“Oh?” the fae says this time, almost like he’s interested. They don’t like being wrong, but most fae can appreciate a good argument.

“Yeah, I got one leg out the window, so—”

“Would you like me to cut it off?” 

He shuts up, and the fae drags him the rest of the way through the border.

They emerge back into some kind of reality with an almost physical pop, and Leorio gets dumped unceremoniously onto the ground. Red dirt, high clay content, stains like hell. He wheezes, face scrunching, but if he wasn’t killed right off, then chances are pretty low he’s going to get offed by this weirdo any time soon.

Still, he heaves himself up and starts dusting himself off, trying to ignore the fae right in front of him. Then he gives up and hauls himself to his feet, scowling already. The fae is just watching him, patterns painted beneath his eyes, fist on one cocked hip, gaze cool and amused. 

Leorio wipes his hands on his pants, then says, “I’ve got questions.”

One shoulder lifts slightly. “I’m in a mood to provide answers.”

“So this kidnapping thing. Is that your deal, or what?”

“Call it a kidnapping, if you like. If you were still a child.”

Leorio scowls harder. Word games are the easiest way to get tangled into doing exactly what you shouldn’t be doing. “Don’t start with that,” he warns, even if it’s an empty threat. Hard to intimidate a spooky weirdo with magic. _“Why me?”_

“A ridiculous question. It’s all over you,” the fae says, one forefinger twirling lazily to cover all of Leorio. “I know where you’ve come from. And it’s clear what you bargained for, and the outcome. You won’t escape again so easily.”

That’s a threat, if Leorio’s ever heard one. He sets his jaw, hands deep in his pockets. No point in picking a fight now, but he’s sure as hell not scared.

“Excellent,” the fae says, staring him down like he’s a delicious treat about to be devoured. Then the fae blinks, and quick as that, his expression’s changed to only bland benign amusement. “Bye-bye now.”

“Wait, _what!_ You’re just going to _leave me here?!”_

“I never said I’d hold onto you.”

Leorio sputters, can’t pull together his outrage in time. 

“You’re on your own from here,” the weirdo says, then boops him on the nose and vanishes. No sound, no flash, no nothing. Guy’s got power and control in spades, and isn’t afraid of showing it. Yikes.

Leorio turns slowly in place, taking everything in. Nothing’s the right color, everything just a little too bright or a little too gray or a little too subtly and indefineably weird. Definitely Fairyland. 

Well, shit.


	2. Chapter 2

> _The young man found himself dazed in the woods of a wondrous land, the beast nowhere in sight. Determined to make good on this new opportunity, he set out deeper into the woods, to see what fortunes he could find._
> 
> _Through magic, skill, and wit, the hunter followed the trail to the young man, and begged for the chance to right his wrongs and return the young man to the human world. The young man agreed, for he was lost, and the hunter fair to look upon. With wit and skill, the hunter led him past the myriad guardians of the wood, and brought him to the safest path, where they came upon a fellow traveler._
> 
> _And so it goes._

So he’s officially trapped.

Leorio turns in another slow circle, like this time around something will change about the scenery, maybe a _door_ will appear between Featureless Tree 1 and Featureless Tree 75, but… nothing. The leaves stay a weird shimmering green, pastel undertones as they sway in an inaudible breeze, the sky stays some unfathomable tint of aquamarine, and he’s not going to be able to get out of here any time soon.

“Fuck,” he says, and starts walking. _“Shit,”_ he adds for good measure. He nearly kicks a rock, then stops himself, because it may have been years, but he hasn’t forgotten everything.

Something prickles on the back of his neck and he scrambles for cover. He’s off his game, but his mama didn’t suffer any fools and she definitely didn’t raise one. This means he’s under some cover when a hole peels itself open in the air, freaky liminal vine-things poking out for just an instant. He considers making a run for it, but doorways are usually pretty strict. One-way roads, and besides, a figure is already stepping through it.

Hard to see in the light, but then the person fully emerges, blonde hair braided and pinned close, all dressed in red robes trimmed in gold-- _Great._ So he _actually_ tried to rob a demonhunter, the last known demonhunter in the area, and the guy’s _followed him all the way to Fairyland._ This is _just what he needs._

The hole seals itself up again and the demonhunter does a brief scan of his surroundings, then lifts his right hand. There’s some kind of spell wound around it, shining silvery and cold in the light. The spell doesn’t look like much from where Leorio’s skulking, just a ball and string, but even as the demonhunter holds his hand perfectly still, it circles and swings.

For a few seconds, it just swings side-to-side, like it’s not sure where to go. Then it whips around like a dog catching a scent, and points directly to where Leorio’s doing his best to look unremarkable and unobtrusive in the shadow of a tree and some bushes. Leorio grumbles. That’s basically cheating.

He doesn’t bother trying to hide, but he also doesn’t head towards the demonhunter to make it any easier for him, which is clearly what he’s expecting. When it becomes clear neither of them are about to move, the demonhunter heaves a sigh, then calls, “I am here to rescue you. Please do not be afraid.”

“Cool,” Leorio calls back, leans against the tree. “Thanks.”

“You might show a little gratitude,” the demonhunter snips at him, starting to head over.

“It’s basically your fault I’m here in the first place, so I’m gonna pass on that, but thanks.”

The demonhunter stills, eyes huge and offended. Then he scowls and marches forward again, more intent on telling Leorio off than any sort of attempted rescue effort. “You were in _my home,_ so I’m not the one who needs to explain myself!”

 _“You_ bargained me off!” Leorio snaps back, unsticking himself from the tree to glare down at him.

Up close, the demonhunter clocks in at just over shoulder-height, pretty good cheekbones and big brown eyes. Also, an attitude that feels like approximately five ounces of whoop-ass crammed into a one ounce can, ready to be unleashed in his direction. Whatever. 

“I had no intention to, and it would not have been an issue if you hadn’t been _trespassing!”_

“That place was _supposed_ to be empty, where the _fuck_ have you people been all the time, if that stuff was so important to you--”

“That’s immaterial! Do you break into people’s houses when they leave for the weekend?”

He’s torn between _Well, yeah, a couple times_ to be a smartass and _Ten years isn’t a weekend_ to be an extra smartass and also right, but the demonhunter just plows right over him, says irritably, “But that’s neither here nor there. I made an error, for which you have suffered, and I will be righting my wrongs. Please come with me.”

“No thanks.”

The demonhunter is visibly taken aback by this, looks at him disbelieving before narrowing his eyes and saying, like he thinks Leorio hasn’t heard him properly or is a little slow, “This is not a place for human beings. I have come to bring you back to where we belong.”

Leorio shrugs. “Yeah, no, I got that part. And no thanks. My chances are better on my own.”

“I find that hard to believe from someone so inexperienced at concealing himself,” the demonhunter says flatly.

“Tracking spells are cheating,” Leorio retorts, at which the demonhunter’s head goes up, and if he wants to fight about it, then that’s just fine.

Instead his gaze focuses somewhere past Leorio, who half-turns to follow. Then the hunter says, “There’s someone—”

Leorio doesn’t bother explaining. “C’mere,” he says, sharp and fast, grabbing the demonhunter’s arm, then bites down on a yowl of pain as his hand is wrenched loose.

“Do not _touch—”_

“I’m trying to save our lives!” Leorio hisses back, hauling back toward some cover shrubbery, counting on the demonhunter to keep hanging onto him. Luckily for the both of them, he’s right about the guy being a stubborn little prick, and he gets them both hustled behind some plants. 

‘Don’t look,’ he mouthes at the demonhunter, who just glowers back at him, and honestly? That works, too. 

There are multiple footsteps, more than just one set of two feet, but not by much. The demonhunter hardly moves his mouth as he says, “Two. One larger, one smaller. Human.” His eyes flick around their surroundings, and he amends, “Or human-shaped.”

Then the steps fall silent, and they both shut up. Leorio breathes shallowly, then turns his head to look at the fae out of the corner of one eye. First impressions: Just a guy and a kid. Short guy, dark hair, teacher glasses and messy clothes, and the kid’s still just a kid, not even close to a teenager yet. Then he tilts his gaze a little further. It takes a second, he’s still readjusting, but when it shows, it’s not reassuring.

The guys a fae, no question. The shape he’s hiding shifts and shifts and shifts, shows as a deep and writhing violet, fully saturated, nice clean borders. He’s strong. The kid’s either weak or just human, but doesn’t have a glamour laid on him, and doesn’t look scared at all.

Leorio takes a deep breath, waits for it to settle, then lets it out slow. Hopefully they’ll decide to move on, things will be easy, and he can ditch this other guy and be on his merry way. He opens his eyes again to find the demonhunter watching him, gaze narrow and suspicious, so he grimaces back, then sneaks another sidelong glance back into the clearing. 

The fae’s looking right at them.

“Please show yourselves,” he says, tone mild. “Before I have to find you.”

The demonhunter puts a hand on one of his swords, starting to rise, and Leorio hastily stands and stumbles out of the brush before he can do anything stupid. 

“Here!” he says, hands clearly up and open. “We’re here. Both of us,” he adds pointedly, and feels more than sees the demonhunter emerging sulkily from the bushes somewhere behind him. 

“Don’t do anything stupid,” he mutters out of the corner of his mouth, and only gets a dissatisfied grunt in response. Then there’s the quiet _shnk_ of a blade being resheathed.

Meanwhile, the fae is looking them over. “A human and a hunter,” he says thoughtfully. “No, don’t give me your names.” His gaze narrows, homing in on Leorio. “But you know this already, don’t you?”

Leorio shrugs, pretends like he’s only scratching at the back of his neck. Behind him, the demonhunter still says nothing, but he’s definitely tense. Lurking. He should lurk less ominously, it’s really creepy.

The fae doesn’t take any notice of bad vibes, ominous, creepy, or otherwise. Instead, his expression goes bland and polite again, and he just says, like this is a perfectly normal meeting, “You may call me Wing. This is my student, Zushi.”

The little kid turns and bows jerkily to them, fists held stiffly out at his sides. 

“Nice to meet you both,” Leorio says cautiously. “We’re travellers, just passing through.”

“Hardly just travellers,” Wing says, and Leorio keeps his mouth shut, hopes the other guy takes the cue.

Then the demonhunter says, “We mean to return to our realm as soon as possible,” and Leorio has never wanted to strangle someone so badly. Or, scratch that, there are a couple other candidates, but this guy is a strong contender.

Glasses-fae mulls that over, one arm folding, other hand rubbing distractedly at his chin. “There are many paths to your goal, but the Capital City will be the best bet for you,” he replies, but his gaze lingers on Leorio.

Leorio shifts his shoulders, not quite a shrug, uncomfortable under the scrutiny. This guy probably sees way more than he lets on, and he’s not giving any clues about what his overall game is.

The demonhunter, meanwhile, decides to just blunder ahead in the conversation, gaze level and chin set like he thinks he knows what he’s doing. “And how do we get there?”

The fae turns to look at him again, considers him as well. Then he says matter-of-factly, “As many paths there are for you to take, there are as many again for ways to reach the Capital City. That is something you must discover on your own.”

Leorio groans. The fae turns to smile vaguely at him, then says, “But you didn’t need me to tell you that, so there’s little more I can do for you.” He considers a moment longer, then turns away and says, “Zushi, let’s go.”

He nods to Leorio before they head off, and Zushi gives them both a long curious stare, before doing his little two-fist bow again, and trotting to catch up with Wing.

Leorio waits until they’re both out of sight, then turns his head to make sure they’re fully gone. When nothing shows up, he heaves a sigh, then rounds on the demonhunter and hisses, “Do you _not know when to keep your mouth shut?!”_

“Did they really warrant that much caution?” the demonhunter says, vaguely disdainful but mostly… curious. 

“The kid, no. The guy, yes, no question. See, I told you I’d be better off alone. So scram.”

“I’m not convinced of that,” the demonhunter says, back to withering scorn. 

“Honestly, you don’t know enough of ‘that’ to make any judgment calls here. Someone tried to use a summoning circle on a fae, and it sure as hell wasn’t me!”

“How _dare_ you--”

“I dare a lot, because it’s sure not _my_ fault that we’re both stuck here!”

The demonhunter takes a deep breath, and visibly holds it. Then he exhales slowly, shoulders relaxing. “I am _trying_ to undo my error. Please, allow me to escort you back to where we belong.”

“Again, no thanks. We got off easy that time. But word of advice: not everyone’s going to be so understanding. So remember that, and go find somewhere else to be,” Leorio says, then turns and nearly blunders directly into someone standing right behind him.

He gets shoved back, and nearly knocks into the demonhunter, who shoulders him roughly to keep him from knocking them both over. Super annoying but kind of a lifesaver, since two knives have appeared in the demonhunter’s hands and Leorio grabs his wrist, because _seriously,_ they _just went over this._ They both crane over Leorio’s shoulder to take a look at whatever new roadblock has appeared.

And… it’s just a kid. 

Then his survival instinct kicks in, because that is not a human child, _that is definitely a fae,_ and the less dangerous they look, the more dangerous they are. This one’s gonna be trouble.

“Hey,” the fae says, face and hands smooth and pale as a river rock, a shock of hair like a little dandelion puff. Then he grins, eyes an unnatural and electric blue. “What’s up?”

Leorio’s mouth, still in shock, moves before his brain to say, “Nothing much, what’s up with you?” which at least makes the fae laugh, derisive and mean. He looks like a kid, not too much older than Wing’s student, but that means nothing around here.

“Classic,” he says, then cocks his head, weighing them both up, before looking narrow and pointed at the demonhunter. “Put those away. What do you think this is, amateur hour?”

The hunter just sets his mouth and shoulders in what’s already becoming a very familiar gesture of stubbornness, takes in a breath, and Leorio sneaks the quickest peek of his life at the kid from his periph.

He gets flicked between the eyes. _Hard._

“Don’t do that,” the fae warns, deadly serious now, all business as he examines the demonhunter again. “Are you on a hunt?”

“Why should it matter to you?” the demonhunter retorts, and Leorio narrowly keeps from groaning, still rubbing at his forehead.

“Uh, because you’re not allowed to hunt here unless you have permission.”

“I’ve heard nothing about that from my contacts,” the hunter says, and he’s obviously trying for lofty, but he just comes off as seriously cagey and deeply suspicious instead.

“Which contacts?”

“None that I’m able to share.”

The fae pretends to consider this a moment, then snaps his fingers and says, “So you’re hanging out with poachers.”

“I never said that.” 

The fae eyes him disbelievingly, then says, “You’re gonna have to try a little harder than that.”

“To find demons, sometimes one must consort with the wicked,” the demonhunter says, stiff and prim, and despite everything, Leorio stifles a laugh.

“Right,” he manages, still trying not to chuckle. “It’s the birds of a feather thing, and you just happen to be tarred with the same brush.”

“I _don’t_ need the opinions of someone who was trespassing in my home,” the demonhunter snaps back at him, glaring fit to kill. 

“Right, and it turns out I’m totally fine with _not caring what you think,_ because you, I don’t know, maybe _accidentally bargained me off or something._ Because you’re an _idiot!”_

“O-kay,” the fae says, rolling his eyes. “So one useless poacher and one incompetent. This is _definitely_ not worth my time.”

He saunters off a few steps, hands shoved in his pockets, then lazily spins on one heel. “Be good,” he says, wagging a finger at them like they’re being scolded. “Or I’ll kill you.”

Then he vanishes with a crackle of electricity and a sudden rolling rumble like thunder. Leorio smoothes his hair back into place, pats himself down because honestly, he’s not entirely sure how they got out of that in one piece.

The demonhunter is still glaring at him and Leorio sneers back. If the guy insists on hanging around, he’s a liability. The faster Leorio can ditch him, the better.

“This isn’t right.”

“Yeah, no shit,” Leorio retorts. “You figure that out on your own? Me, I’m heading out. We just got lucky twice in a row, and I really don’t want to see what happens the third time around. See ya.”

The demonhunter comes up and cuts him off before he can get more than four steps away, stands in front of him with his jaw set and feet planted. “I am not letting you out of my sight. I set out to return you to our realm, and I will do it.”

“Listen, asshole--”

“My _name_ is--”

 _“Nope!”_ Leorio exclaims, goes to stifle the hunter’s mouth, then just as quickly snatches his hands back after the hunter snaps at them. Yikes. If he wanders around on his own, this guy’s toast; it’s almost enough for Leorio to feel sorry for him. Almost. “Just whisper it, okay. Really quiet. Both hands around your mouth.”

The demonhunter just rolls his eyes, then makes a quick impatient gesture for Leorio to lean over. Just for that, Leorio nearly refuses, but it’s the easiest way, and he bets this pint-sized asshole is dying for any excuse to scrap with him right now. He leans down, and the demonhunter steps close, cups both hands around his mouth, and breathes his name into Leorio’s ear.

“Really?” Leorio says. “What kinda name is that?”

“It’s my name,” the demonhunter says sharply, abruptly two steps back like he’s squaring up to fight. Yep, Leorio called it. “And if you’ll have mine, then give me yours.”

“Uhhh, no. Like you’d even know what to do with it. Listen, don’t tell anyone else your actual name, ever. No matter what they promise you. I’m Leo, you’re Peeks. And we need to establish some _rules._

“First things first: _Be. Polite._ No matter what. Folks are touchy around here. Don’t accept gifts, they’re not free. If you’re making a bargain, make sure you get more than you give. Be _exact._ And _never give out your name.”_

Peeks just scowls at him, disbelieving and ready to be a stubborn ass about it, but as he starts to say something, he shuts his mouth again and cuts his gaze to the side, where something else is rustling around the same direction he appeared from.

Leorio eyes him, then says in an undertone, “You weren’t followed, were you?”

“Shh.”

“That’s _such_ an amateur move, are you kidding me--”

_“Quiet.”_

The demonhunter shifts his weight very slightly, then starts to edge backwards, away from the whatever is approaching. Great, because that’s the smartest move. Annoying, because that’s where Leorio was heading. 

The rustling gets closer, and Leorio tenses up. He could fight or he could ditch, and honestly, he’s leaning towards ditch, because Peeks seems like he can handle himself. If negotiations go south, he’ll give it a shot.

Suddenly, things go silent, and he is ready to head on out when a kid peers out of the bushes, somewhere to the left of where they last heard the noise, and beams at them.

“I thought I heard something here. I’m Gon! Gon Freecs.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With sincere apologies for forgetting for so long to include this[beautiful art of Kurapika's intro by Pacha!](https://patxaran.tumblr.com/post/623770790775635968/limited-computer-access-has-been-slowing-my)


	3. Chapter 3

> _The traveler was a changeling who had accompanied the hunter, him all unknowing. Introducing himself, the changeling swore to aid them, for parts of their goals aligned. He brought with him a boon companion, wise in the ways of the woods, who offered a trade: An adventure in exchange for the guidance out of the forest._
> 
> _Well, that was easily done. The bargain was struck, and they followed the companion into the woods._
> 
> _And so it goes. ___

_  
___  


__For a few more seconds, they just stand there, staring each other down, Leorio, Peeks, and this new kid. Leorio shuts his mouth in an effort to stop gaping like a fish, then _hrrmphs_ and folds his arms. Peeks for his part just looks mildly intrigued, but mostly skeptical._ _

__The kid looks them both over, then turns to Peeks and says, “Are you lost?”_ _

__“Excuse me?”_ _

__“I don’t think I have permission to do that,” he says, then steps fully into view, brushing leaves off his jacket. “I do owe you a favor, though. I couldn’t have made it here without you.”_ _

__“You were followed!” Leorio hisses at the _super-rubbish demonhunter._ By a Freecs, no less. He turns towards the kid, who could be human, could be halvsies, could be… something else entirely. Maybe it’s just a weird coincidence. Maybe the kid’s full fae and they’re potentially in really deep shit. Not a good time to check now though. “What’s your deal, are you here to eat us or imprison us or what?”_ _

__“No,” Gon says, then smiles. It’s a bright, happy smile, probably sincere. “None of those. But if we’re doing questions, then I have one for both of you. Have you seen my brother?”_ _

__“No--”_ _

__“What do you mean, questions?”_ _

__Leorio briefly and intensely considers gagging the demonhunter. Guy’s got a mouth and doesn’t know when to quit._ _

__Gon considers him, then says finally, “I think it’s okay for me to answer, since you technically haven’t asked one yet yourself. It’d be different if we were two groups with multiple people, probably. Questions is when you trade information back and forth, but you can only ask one question at a time, and another question can’t be asked until the first answer is given.”_ _

__“I see.”_ _

__“We’re not doing questions!” Leorio says sharply before this gets out of hand. “No tricks, no favors! Just a free exchange.”_ _

__Gon deflates with relief. “Oh, good, because I’m out of practice. I’m looking for my brother. He’s in here somewhere.”_ _

__“We can keep an eye out,” Leorio says, intending to do no such thing. ‘Able to’ never means ‘going to,’ and he doesn’t plan on sticking around with these nobodies. “What’s he look like?”_ _

__“I’m not sure.”_ _

__“How old is he?_ _

__“Around my age! Ish. I think. Time’s weird for humans.”_ _

__Suspicious. Leorio rapidly revises his mental estimation. “O… kay. Is there… something we can call him?”_ _

__“Hm,” Gon says, propping his chin on one fist. He mulls it over, then looks up. “I don’t know!”_ _

__This just gets better and better. “Okay. When’s the last time you saw him?”_ _

__“I haven’t!”_ _

___“Do you even have a brother?”_ Leorio demands. _ _

__Gon heaves a sigh and says, “I’m a changeling.”_ _

__“What,” Leorio says flatly as Peeks says, “What?”_ _

__“A changeling. Someone swapped me for a human baby, and now I’m going to swap us back.”_ _

__Well that’s… novel. “Why?”_ _

__“What do you mean, ‘why’?” Peeks snaps at him. “It’s the right thing to do!”_ _

__“No, I mean— This _never_ happens. Changelings have one job, and it’s to not get caught. If they swap back, it’s not because the changeling decides to, just out of the goodness of their heart. That _never_ happens.”_ _

__“I want to,” Gon insists. “My mother’s been so good to me, even though she knows I’m not her human son.”_ _

__“You can force a changeling out with fire, drowning, or iron as soon as you can tell,” Leorio confides to Peeks, leaning over, and Peeks scowls at him._ _

__“That’s barbaric—”_ _

__“She would never!” Gon breaks in, expression stubborn and fierce. “She loves me. So I wanted to do something for her, since she took such good care of me, and that’s what you do for people you love in return.”_ _

__“Right, so instead you go off and disappear instead,” Leorio says flatly. “Great way to show you care.”_ _

__“I’m going back,” Gon says blithely. “She asked me to. I’m finding my brother and we’re _both_ going home.”_ _

__That’s… sweet, actually. Leorio can admit that. It’s kind of nice, and also a little weird. He re-evaluates this kid, frowning, puts his hands in his pockets instead. “So what’s your plan? You’re gonna just wander around until you stumble across this kid you don’t know the name of, don’t know what he looks like, that you’ve never seen--”_ _

__“Leo,” the demonhunter says reprovingly, like _he’s being out of line,_ and Leorio scoffs at him._ _

__“It’s a valid question!”_ _

__“My father should know where he is,” says Gon. “So I have to find him first.”_ _

__“You said ‘Freecs,’ right?” Leorio says, frowning as Gon brightens. “If that means what I think it does, then you have no clue where to start looking.”_ _

__“I know my father’s name and you do too, so that’s enough of a clue for me. If he’s that important, there must be someone at the Capital City who can tell us where to find him.”_ _

__“So you guys are interesting after all.”_ _

__Leorio flinches, wheels to face the new thing. Peeks and Gon hardly flinch._ _

__It’s the fae from before, same height as Gon, circling them and eyeing Gon intently. Gon doesn’t seem concerned, just curious as the fae says dubiously, “Really? You’re a Freecs?”_ _

__“That’s what I remember,” Gon says confidently, hands loose at his side, turning to keep eye contact. “Do you know where my father is?”_ _

__“Man, I don’t think anyone knows where your dad is. He hasn’t been around for a while. Maybe someone at the capital will know.”_ _

__“How do we get there?”_ _

__“If we just keep walking, we’ll get somewhere,” Gon says._ _

__The fae snorts. “Not in these woods. What about these two losers, where are they going?”_ _

__“They’re with me,” Gon says confidently, and Leorio suppresses a groan. This is exactly what he _didn’t_ want: Multiple people just means multiple points of failure. _ _

__“Charity cases slow you down,” the fae warns him, stopping to stand in front of Gon, little kid face vaguely disapproving. The expression’s almost too old for him, like some disappointed teacher saying, ‘You should know better.’_ _

__Leorio scoffs to himself. That’s what _he’s_ been saying._ _

__Gon just smiles, open and easy and honest. “I’d rather it be fun than easy,” he admits, smile broadening to a grin as the other fae rolls his eyes. Then he sticks out one hand. “My name’s Gon, but you heard that already. You should come with us.”_ _

__The fae eyes him dubiously, then pats the back of Gon’s hand. “I’ll tag along if you quit doing that. You’ll get suckered into making a deal if you’re not careful.”_ _

__Good point. Leorio jams his hands into his pockets, catches a thoughtful look on Peeks’s face that says he’s filing that away for later._ _

__Meanwhile, the fae just says, “You can call me Killua. These woods are useless to strangers. You need to know what you’re heading towards, but honestly, probably even that won’t help you.”_ _

__“So are you going to help us?” Leorio demands, rapidly reassessing. If this kid knows what’s going on, then better to buddy up; if not, it’s one more liability._ _

__“No,” Killua says flatly. “But I’m heading towards the gate, and you can tag along.”_ _

__Leorio perks up. A gate, huh? Well, that’s probably the best offer any of them are going to get. Leorio eyes him, then the rest of the gang. Gon’s in, no questions, has already confidently settled in next to Killua with a look like he’s got a dozen more things to say. The demonhunter is eyeing him back, frowns a little when their gazes meet and slides his aside. But not before Leorio catches him lifting one shoulder, letting it drop again._ _

__Before Leorio can comment on it, the demonhunter says, “We may as well. Thank you for the offer.”_ _

__Which would really be right on the edge of disaster, if someone else was looking to make a deal, but Killua just shrugs back and says, “Sure, whatever,” and starts walking._ _

__Well, if it works, it works. Leorio heaves a sigh and follows after. “The gate,” he says to himself, and feels better already. He loves having a gameplan. Things are looking up._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pasted from previous chapter: With sincere apologies for forgetting for so long to include this[beautiful art of Kurapika's intro by Pacha!](https://patxaran.tumblr.com/post/623770790775635968/limited-computer-access-has-been-slowing-my)


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